DC's Batman plans for May 2024 include dark prisons, an adults-only Robin comic, and more

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Gotham City is not the safest, nor easiest, place to live if you stop to think about it. Sure, Metropolis is being overrun by an army of Lobos, and Sovereign is up to no good in Washington, DC, but you should expect such things to happen in a busy DC Universe. How busy? Well, in May’s full list of orders alone, there’s the launch of a new Robin series written and drawn by Juni Ba, the start of Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo’s final Nightwing story, new hardcover editions of Tom King’s Mister Miracle with Mitch Gerads and Supergirl with Bilquis Evely announced for later this year, and a new collection of Kurt Busiek Superman stories, and much, much more. But we digress. Let’s get back to Gotham.

Even if you ignore the fact that Catwoman is running some low level crime rings and the Penguin is trying to take advantage of the underworld for his own purposes — with some help from unlikely sources, as anyone reading this current series knows all too well — there’s simply the fact that even Batman alone has multiple threats to deal with on a monthly basis, each one alone likely to cause damage to property, home ownership, or your very life. Who'd want to live in that kind of city?

Take a look at what DC is planning for the Batman (and family) comics in May below, and you’ll see just what I’m talking about — and none of that is factoring in the collected editions also listed for order this month, which include some classic material, including comics spinning out from the classic 1990s animated series! Yes, Gotham City would not be a nice place to live… but after looking through what DC is planning for its citizens and surrounding areas, you can’t deny that it’s a very fun place to read about.

BATMAN #147

Written by CHIP ZDARSKY
Art and cover by JORGE JIMÉNEZ
Variant cover by JORGE JIMÉNEZ
Variant cover by YASMINE PUTRI
1:25 variant cover by KENDRICK “KUKKA” LIM
1:50 variant cover by STEVAN SUBIC
$4.99 US | 40 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/7/24
With no allies, no weapons, and almost no hope…can Batman fight back before Zur makes a true devil’s bargain? The world is about to know Zur’s true power! Him and…his new sidekick? “Dark Prisons” continues!

THE BOY WONDER #1

Written by JUNI BA
Art and cover by JUNI BA
Variant cover by CLIFF CHIANG
1:25 variant cover by JUNI BA
$5.99 US | 32 pages | 1 of 5
ON SALE 5/7/24
The young prince Damian Wayne was raised to be the heir to the fearsome League of Assassins—to follow in the footsteps of his deadly mother, Talia, and the Demon’s Head himself, his grandfather Ra’s al Ghul. But everything changed when his father, the Batman, reclaimed him and brought him back to Gotham City. As Robin, young Damian suddenly discovered he was merely one of a number of princes, preceded in the role by his “brothers” Nightwing, Red Hood, and Red Robin…and Damian doesn’t care to be merely anything. But when his father is forced to leave the city on urgent business, and a rash of abductions is accompanied by whispers of a demon stalking Gotham’s dark alleys, Damian will find himself battling alongside his adoptive brothers—and in the process, learning what the mantle of Robin really means! Visionary writer/artist Juni Ba makes his mark on the timeless story of Batman and Robin, synthesizing the characters’ complex history into an accessible and heartrending fairy tale!

DETECTIVE COMICS #1085

Written by RAM V
Art by JAVIER FERNANDEZ
Cover by EVAN CAGLE
Backup written by ALEX PAKNADEL
Variant cover by JAVIER FERNANDEZ
Variant cover by STEVE BEACH
1:25 variant cover by SEBASTIAN FIUMARA
$4.99 US | 40 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/28/24
The Batman has returned, but his city is no longer the home it once was. A sinister order now governs the shadows of Gotham. An order so precise, so methodical, that there is only one thing that could combat it. What is this one force—this singular thing that could undo order? Even if you were told, you would not believe it. In fact, you may think it’s a joke.

BATMAN AND ROBIN #9

Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art and cover by SIMONE DI MEO
Variant cover by GLEB MELNIKOV
Variant cover by HOWARD PORTER
1:25 variant cover by IVAN TAO
$4.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/14/24
Who will be Gotham’s true protector? The people of Gotham will decide! While his father fights for his life, Damian now knows Shush’s secrets, and it’s only created more problems for him as a high school student and as Robin! Can the Dynamic Duo find each other before it’s too late?

BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #13

Written by TIM SEELEY, MARK RUSSELL, DELILAH S. DAWSON, JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV, JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER, RODNEY BARNES
Art by KELLEY JONES, JON MIKEL, SERG ACUÑA, LISANDRO ESTHERREN, JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER
Cover by SIMONE DI MEO
Variant cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
Variant cover by JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER
$7.99 US | 64 pages | Prestige | (all covers are card stock)
ON SALE 5/28/24
Brave and the Bold enters its second year with five tremendous tales! Nightwing and Deadman face the ghosts of the circus, as presented in spectacularly horrific detail by Kelley Jones! Booster Gold (allegedly) causes a disaster that must be fixed by…the JURASSIC LEAGUE?! Artemis’s quest comes to its stunning conclusion! Batman and Guy Gardner face high strangeness when a UFO crashes in Gotham! And finally, Jason Shawn Alexander brings his legendary talents to Batman Black and White!

NIGHTWING #114

Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art and cover by BRUNO REDONDO
Variant cover by DAN MORA
Variant cover by DANIEL SAMPARE
1:25 variant cover by AARON CAMPBELL
$4.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/21/24
The Eisner Award-winning duo of Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo reunite to tell Nightwing’s greatest story yet. The culmination of Heartless’s sabotage on Nightwing reaches its dramatic climax when Nightwing loses his ability to leap, impeding his duties to be the superhero we know and love.

POISON IVY #22

Written by G. WILLOW WILSON
Art by MARCIO TAKARA
Cover by JESSICA FONG
Variant cover by FRANK CHO
Variant cover by R. KIKUO JOHNSON
1:25 variant cover by ELIZABETH TORQUE
1:50 variant cover by FRANK CHO
$3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/7/24
PART 1 of 3 of THE EXPLOSIVE CLIMAX OF YEAR TWO OF POISON IVY!
The end times are upon Pamela Isley. The rotten seeds she has sown across America have come home to roost, and her greatest enemy has torn himself from her flesh. With the verdant villainess on death’s door, is there any hope…for the rest of the world, or has the reign of Dr. Jason Woodrue, the Floronic Man, begun?

HARLEY QUINN #40

Written by TINI HOWARD
Art by NATACHA BUSTOS
Cover by SWEENEY BOO
Backup by GRACE ELLIS and HANNAH TEMPLER
Variant cover by LEIRIX
1:25 variant cover by DANIEL HILLYARD
1:50 variant cover by CASPAR WIJNGAARD
$4.99 US | 40 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/28/23
Driving laws, etiquette, common sense? WHO NEEDS ’EM. Dat’s right, you finks! I’m continuing my greatest higher education-motivated research assignment to date—being bad! And if that wasn’t enough GETTING SCHOOLED for ya in one issue, my collegiate best friends for life forever and always, Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer, have joined forces to tell the true story of the time I dreamed I was sent back ta school! You’ll be calling me Harley Dangerfield by the end of this one on account of all the respect yer gonna be giving me!

CATWOMAN #65

Written by TINI HOWARD
Art by CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO
Cover by DAVID NAKAYAMA
Variant cover by PABLO VILLALOBOS
Variant cover by RACHTA LIN
1:25 variant cover by OTTO SCHMIDT
1:50 variant cover by ELIZA IVANOVA
$3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/21/24
The final act of “Nine Lives” begins here! Catwoman is dead meat. With a certifiable cutthroat and cannibalistic cabal of criminals converging on Catwoman, the feline femme fatale finds herself searching the ends of the earth for an ally in her struggle. But first she’ll have to escape from her current predicament: a deadly black site prison.

BIRDS OF PREY #9

Written by KELLY THOMPSON
Art by VARIOUS
Cover by LEONARDO ROMERO
Variant cover by EJIKURE
Variant cover by CHRISTIAN WARD
1:25 variant cover by CHRIS NG
$3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/7/24
If the Birds of Prey have one mission, it’s “protect Barbara Gordon at all costs,” and that mission is…not going great. Dinah and her team search for Barbara in this strange new world that seems specifically designed to trip them up. Many mysteries lurk in the dark of this world, and some of them don't even want to kill you…probably.

OUTSIDERS #7

Written by JACKSON LANZING and COLLIN KELLY
Art by ROBERT CAREY
Cover by ROGER CRUZ
Variant cover by JORGE FORNES
$4.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/14/24
[TITLE REDACTED] A requiem is held for a fallen friend. The Guide is opened, and the truth of the world is revealed.

RED HOOD: THE HILL #4

Written by SHAWN MARTINBROUGH
Art by TONY AKINS
Cover by SANFORD GREENE
Variant cover by STEVE BEACH
$3.99 US | 32 pages | 4 of 6 | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/14/24
Jason Todd has gone through a lot in his life, death, and life again. From his time as Robin, to his time as a villain, to his adventures as an outlaw—Red Hood thought he’d run crowbar-first into almost any scenario imaginable. But now, as monsters—both literal and figurative—stalk the streets of his home city, Red Hood finds himself up against the impossible. Does Jason stand a chance while things heat up in the Hill?

THE PENGUIN #10

Written by TOM KING
Art by RAFAEL DE LATORRE
Cover by CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO
Variant cover by CHRISTIAN WARD
$3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/28/24
The fire in Gotham turns into an inferno as chaos spreads in the wake of Penguin’s return. No one in the city is safe from the bird’s wrath, not least his own children. How far will Penguin go to regain his crime empire? How much blood will need to spill? You ain’t seen nothing yet.

BATMAN: DARK AGE #3

Written by MARK RUSSELL
Art and cover by MIKE ALLRED
Variant cover by KEVIN NOWLAN
1:25 variant cover by STEVE LIEBER
$5.99 US | 48 pages | 3 of 6 | Variant $6.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/28/24
A Robin rises from the ashes! Bruce Wayne discovers he may wield more power without a mask as he reenters society to rave reviews. But when an ambitious Carmine Falcone takes over Gotham with the help of his False Face Society, Batman realizes the only way to win the war is with allies. Will the next generation be up to the task? Or is Gotham doomed to continue living in this dark age?

BATMAN/DYLAN DOG #3

Written by ROBERTO RECCHIONI
Art by GIGI CAVENAGO and WERTHER DELL’EDERA
Cover by GIGI CAVENAGO
Variant cover by GIGI CAVENAGO
$4.99 US | 64 pages | 3 of 3 | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/14/24
Merciless Christopher Killex is back from the grave and starts to fill Gotham City’s streets with blood and horror! Dylan Dog and Batman are faced with an unsolvable dilemma: whether to accept the help of The Joker, who could prove to be a key ally in catching the serial killer. But can they really trust him?

BATMAN: GARGOYLE OF GOTHAM #3 / NOIR EDITION #3

Written by RAFAEL GRAMPÁ
Art and cover by RAFAEL GRAMPÁ
Variant cover by JAMIE HEWLETT
Variant cover by FRANK QUITELY
Variant cover by BILQUIS EVELY
1:25 wraparound variant cover by JAMIE HEWLETT
1:50 variant cover by PEDRO COBIACO
$6.99 US | 48 pages | 3 of 4 | (all covers are card stock)
ON SALE 5/28/24
“May the hour of the devil begin…” The harrowing journey through the dark heart of Gotham reaches a fever pitch in this penultimate installment of Rafael Gramp.’s visionary series! Batman’s investigation leads him into the deadly lair of Doctorgeist— where his presence is not only expected…but welcomed. Their savage fight for the soul of Gotham—and the soul of Bruce Wayne himself—will send shock waves through the city from which it might never recover. And elsewhere, the fugitive Crytoon makes a twisted acquaintance that finally gives him something to smile about…

THE BAT-MAN: FIRST KNIGHT #3

Written by DAN JURGENS
Art and cover by MIKE PERKINS
Pulp novel variant cover by MARC ASPINALL
Variant cover by TYLER CROOK
$6.99 | 48 pages | 3 of 3 | Prestige Plus | 8 1/2" x 10 7/8"
(all covers are card stock)
ON SALE 5/21/24
As the Voice’s grip on Gotham tightens, Jim Gordon doesn’t know whom he can trust. With monstrous beasts threatening the city, he turns to the Bat-Man for help, but to truly stop this reign of terror, playboy millionaire Bruce Wayne will step in to help guide the investigation. It all leads to a heart-pounding conclusion that will literally set Gotham ablaze!

THE BATMAN & SCOOBY-DOO MYSTERIES #5

Written by MATTHEW CODY
Art and cover by PUSTE
$2.99 US | 32 pages
ON SALE 5/7/24
Dr. Kirk Langstrom believes the cure for his monstrous alter ego lies in studying the infamous Dr. Jekyll. When Batman accompanies him to Jekyll’s abandoned lab, they’re attacked by the ghost of Mr. Hyde himself! The Mystery Inc. gang has a history with this so-called spook, so Batman calls for their help. But, like, no one told them they might be facing Man-Bat, too!

BATMAN AND ROBIN AND HOWARD #3

Written by JEFFREY BROWN
Art and cover by JEFFREY BROWN
$3.99 US | 40 pages
ON SALE 5/14/24
When tensions from group homework projects and soccer sessions reach their breaking point, Damian and Howard are assigned a little quality time together to work out their differences. As distracted as he has been, Damian hasn’t yet realized that Batman might need a little help of his own…

THE PENGUIN VOL. 1

Written by TOM KING and CHIP ZDARSKY
Art by RAFAEL DE LATORRE, STEVAN SUBIC, and BELÉN ORTEGA
Cover by KAEL NGU
$19.99 US | 200 pages | 6 5/8" x 10 3/16" | Softcover | ISBN: 978-1-77952-524-6
ON SALE 6/25/24
The Penguin, the king of Gotham City’s criminal underworld, has died and is contentedly living in Metropolis in a not so well-deserved retirement. With his children fighting over his vast criminal empire, the once great crime boss is cooking dinners for his girlfriend and buying expensive suits, until the U.S. government enlists the Penguin as their agent to take back the Iceburg Lounge and his empire. To become the man he once was, the Penguin must collect the right pawns and employees by using every wile and wit at his disposal. From award-winning and bestselling writer Tom King (Batman, The Human Target) and artist Rafael de Latorre (Daredevil) comes a bloody, hard-boiled tale of redemption and revenge! Collects The Penguin #0-7.

HARLEY QUINN: BLACK + WHITE + REDDER

Written by CHIP ZDARSKY, GAIL SIMONE, ZOE THOROGOOD, and others
Art by BILQUIS EVELY, BRUNO REDONDO, BABS TARR, and others
Cover by CHRIS SAMNEE
$19.99 US | 232 pages | 6 5/8" x 10 3/16" | Softcover | ISBN: 978-1-77952-604-5
ON SALE 7/16/24
The bloody brilliance of 2020’s Harvey-nominated Harley Quinn: Black + White + Red deserved an encore! In this all-new collection, 18 short tales of Gotham’s most unpredictable antihero unspool in black, white, and red ink (because she’s never seen the world in just black and white). Watch in astonishment as Harley and Ivy dive deep into the heart of the Fortress of Solitude! Peer into Harley’s teenage past as a high-flying gymnast with vengeance on her mind! Be astonished as former Joker sidekicks Harley and Gaggy Gagsworthy embark on a harrowing heist that’s well worth the risk! All these plus oodles more madcap monochromatic misadventures! From superstar creators Chip Zdarsky, Leah Williams, Zoe Thorogood, Paul Scheer, Kelly Thompson, Gail Simone, Tini Howard, Justin Halpern, Kevin Maguire, Tom Reilly, Annie Wu, Juni Ba, Brandt & Stein, Babs Tarr, Bilquis Evely, Bruno Redondo and scores of others! Collects Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder #1-6!

ABSOLUTE BATMAN: DEATH OF THE FAMILY

Written by SCOTT SNYDER, with JAMES TYNION IV and TONY S. DANIEL
Art by GREG CAPULLO, with JOCK and TONY S. DANIEL
Slipcase Art by GREG CAPULLO
$100.00 US | 264 pages | 8 1/8" x 12 1/4" | Hardcover | ISBN: 978-1-77952-830-8
ON SALE 10/29/24
The Joker is back, and he has transform
ed into something more deadly and insidious than ever before. Targeting those closest to Batman, The Clown Prince of Crime will unleash his most unpredictable, vicious, and psychotic assault on the Dark Knight ever! Experience Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s genre-defining, #1 New York Times bestselling story in the brand-new prestigious, oversized Absolute edition. Collects Detective Comics (The New 52) #1 and Batman (The New 52) #13-17, and more.

THE BATMAN AND ROBIN ADVENTURES OMNIBUS

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Written by TY TEMPLETON, PAUL DINI, HILARY J. BADER, and KELLEY PUCKETT Art by TY TEMPLETON, RICK BURCHETT, and others
Cover by ERIC RADOMSKI
$75.00 US | 904 pages | 7 1/16" x 10 7/8" | Hardcover | ISBN: 978-1-77952-737-0
ON SALE 7/9/24
The Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder return for another rousing round of adventures in this companion volume to The Batman Adventures Omnibus. Collects The Batman & Robin Adventures #1-25, The Batman & Robin Adventures Annual #1-2, The Batman Adventures: The Lost Years #1-5, and The Batman & Robin Adventures: Sub-Zero #1, and more!

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Want to know what else is happening in the DC Universe this May? We have all of DC’s solicitations for the month right here.